Think This is a Scam? - Uh-huh!

I received the following email on May 22:

from "Mr.William Moris" May 22
reply-to william_ntb03@yahoo.co.uk
date May 22, 2007 6:12 PM
subject YOUR URGENT RESPONSE IS HIGHLY NEEDED IMMEDIATELY !!!
mailed-by adelphia.net

NATWEST BANK PLC
LAMBETH PALACE RD
LONDON SE1 7EH
FROM THE DESK OF : WILLIAM MORIS
Before proceeding, I wish to introduce myself to you; I am William Moris a staff of Natwest Bank plc London.I am the head of the accounts department.I am pleased to get across to you for a very urgent and profitable business proposal which I believe will profit the both of us after completion. I contacted you after a careful thought that you might be capable of handling this business transaction, which i explained below. The sum of ( £ 12,500,000.00 Million Pounds), has been floating as unclaimed since 2000 in my bank as all efforts to get across to the his relatives of our client who deposited the money have hit the stones. There is this immigrant Mr. Andreas schranner,property magnate who was based in the U.K,who appens to be one of our very good clients. On the 25Th of July 2000, Mr. Andreas schranner, his wife Maria , their daughter Andréa eich, her husband Christian, and their children katharina and maximilian all died in the air France concord plane crash bound for New York in their plan for a world cruise.All attempts to trace his next of kin were fruitless that Mr. Andreas Schranner did not declare any next of kin or relation in all his official documents, including his bank deposit paperwork in my bank.According to the British Law. The money will revert to the ownership of the British government if nobody applies to claim the fund. To avoid this money being sent to the British treasury as unclaimed funds, I have decided to seek your assistance to have you stand as his next of kin so that the said fund ( £ 12,500,000.00 million pounds), would be released in your name as the next of kin and paid into your account.All documents and proof that will have you claim this fund without stress will be forwarded to you upon your response to this mail more so, i want to inform you that i have unanimously agreed to offer you (£4m) of the total sum for the assistance and role you are going to play in this transaction,(£2m)will be given to charity organisations in your country with your supervision while the remaining will be for me. Please send your confidential telephone and fax number in your reply to: william_ntb03@yahoo.co.uk

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Check out the grammar. I don't think it is from a native-English-speaking person. But then again, I encountered some people in Stranraer, Scotland who I thought were speaking English, but I could understand very few words.

Elizabeth Blackwell died today – 97 years ago

English & U.S. physician Elizabeth Blackwell was born on February 3, 1821 in Bristol, England. She said, “If society will not admit of woman's free development, then society must be remodeled.” (Amen!) She also said, “Our school education ignores, in a thousand ways, the rules of healthy development.” {1} (Amen! Amen!!)... She died in 1910 in Hastings, Sussex, England.

German war criminal Adolph Eichmann was born on March 19, 1906 in Solingen, Germany. He said, “Now that I look back, I realize that a life predicated on being obedient and taking orders is a very comfortable life indeed. Living in such a way reduces to a minimum one's need to think.” {2} (Amen!)... He died in 1962.

U.S. educator Edith Hamilton was born on August 12, 1867 in Dresden, Germany. She said, “Theories that go counter to the facts of human nature are foredoomed.” {3} (Now if we could just decide what constitutes human nature.) She also said, “The fundamental fact about the Greek was that he had to use his mind. The ancient priests had said, ‘Thus far and no farther. We set the limits of thought.’ The Greek said, ‘All things are to be examined and called into question. There are no limits set on thought.’” {3} (And that’s the way it should be.)... She died in 1963 in Washington, D.C.

U.S. nutritionist Adelle Davis was born on February 25, 1904 in central Indiana. She said, “Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper.” {4} (That may seem backwards and counter-intuitive, but I believe it's true.)... She died in 1974.

Martha Elizabeth Beall Mitchell was born on September 2, 1918. She was the wife of John Mitchell, U.S. Attorney General under President Richard Nixon. She leaked information about the Watergate scandal to the press. She said, “[Nixon] bleeds people. He draws every drop of blood and then drops them from a cliff. He'll blame any person he can put his foot on.” {3} (Oh, my! I guess she didn’t like Nixon very much.)... She died in 1996.

U.S. writer & psychologist Dr. Timothy Leary was born on October 22, 1920 in Springfield, Massachusetts. He said, “If you don't like what you're doing, you can always pick up your needle and move to another groove.” {2} (That sounds like a groovy thing.) He also said, “Think for yourself and question authority.” {2} (They may not like it but do it anyway.)... He died in 1996 in Los Angeles, California.

U.S. comic Charles Pierce was born on July 14, 1926 in Watertown, New York. He said, "The fact that I went from rags to bitches was just one of those quirks of fate written in the stars." {5}... He died in 1999 in North Hollywood, California.

{1} Source: http://womenshistory.about.com
{2} Source: www.brainyquote.com
{3} Source: http://thinkexist.com
{4} Source: www.quotationspage.com
{5} Source: www.born-today.com

Hermann Broch died today – 56 years ago

German writer Hermann Broch was born on November 1, 1886 in Vienna, Austria. He said, “The world has always gone through periods of madness so as to advance a bit on the road to reason.” {1} (And I’m sick and tired of all the madness.)... He died in 1951 in New Haven, Connecticut.

English writer Christopher “Kit” Marlowe was born on February 6, 1564 in Canterbury, England. He said, “Money can't buy love, but it improves your bargaining position.” {1} (Let me jot that down in my checkbook.)... He died in 1593 in Deptford, England.

English writer Alexander Pope was born on May 21, 1688 in London, England. He said, “A man should never be ashamed to own he has been in the wrong, which is but saying, in other words, that he is wiser today than he was yesterday.” {1} (I know I think I believe I’m wiser.)... He died in 1744.

French philosopher Jean Francois Marie Arouet de Voltaire was born on November 21, 1694 in Paris, France. He said, “Anything too stupid to be said is sung.” {2} (That does not apply to my songs. Thank you very much.)... He died in 1778 in Paris, France.

U.S. inventor Wilbur Wright was born on April 16, 1867 in Millville, Indiana. He was the brother of Orville. He said, “It is possible to fly without motors, but not without knowledge and skill.” {3} (That’s true of a lot of things.) He also said, “Those who live by the sea can hardly form a single thought of which the sea would not be part.” {3} (That’s probably also true of the mountains and the desert and the... fill-in-the-blank.) He also said, “What's important is promising something to the people, not actually keeping those promises. The people have always lived on hope alone.” {3} (Sadly, that seems to be very true.)... He died in 1912 in Dayton, Ohio.

Russian writer Boris Pasternak was born on February 10, 1890 Moscow, Russian Empire. He is best known for his novel “Doctor Zhivago”. He said, “As for the men in power, they are so anxious to establish the myth of infallibility that they do their utmost to ignore truth.” {1} He also said, “Literature is the art of discovering something extraordinary about ordinary people, and saying with ordinary words something extraordinary.” {1}... He died in 1960 in Peredelkino, USSR.

{1} Source: www.brainyquote.com
{2} Source: www.quotationspage.com
{3} Source: http://thinkexist.com

John Gunther died today – 37 years ago

U.S. writer John Gunther was born on August 30, 1901 in Chicago, Illinois. According to Wikipedia, “He is best known today for the memoir ‘Death Be Not Proud’ about the death of his teenage son, Johnny Gunther, from a brain tumor.” He said, “There are no generalizations in American politics that vested selfishness cannot cut through." {1} (Bless those vested interests – NOT.)... He died on May 29, 1970 in New York City, New York.

English chemist & physicist Sir Humphrey Davy was born on December 17, 1778 in Penzance, Cornwall, United Kingdom. He discovered “laughing gas” (nitrous oxide). (Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha! That’s enough.) He said, "The most important of my discoveries have been suggested to me by my failures." {1} (Wow! Just think how many discoveries I will make.)... He died in 1829 in Switzerland.

English lyricist William S. Gilbert was born on November 18, 1836 in London, England. He said (about his collaborator composer Arthur Sullivan), "He is like a man who sits on a stove and then complains that his backside is burning." {1} (But Art wrote such pretty music.)... Mr. Gilbert died in 1911 in Harrow Weald, Middlesex, England.

U.S. actor John Barrymore was born on February 15, 1882 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He said, "Die? I should say not, dear fellow. No Barrymore would allow such a conventional thing to happen to him." {1} (A bit pompous, don’t you think?)... He died in 1942 in Los Angeles, California.

U.S. actress Fanny Brice was born on October 29, 1891 in New York City, New York. She said, “Let the world know you as you are, not as you think you should be, because sooner or later, if you are posing, you will forget the pose, and then where are you?” {2} (So true. So true.)... She died in 1951 in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, California.

U.S. actress Mary Pickford was born as Gladys Louise Smith on April 8, 1893 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She was in over 200 films. She said, "This thing that we call 'failure' is not the falling down, but the staying down." {1} (That’s my theory of failure, too – especially after reading it.)... She died in 1979 in Santa Monica, California.

U.S. Representative & Senator-from-Maine Margaret Chase Smith was born on December 14, 1897 in Skowhegan, Maine. She said, "One of the basic causes for all the trouble in the world today is that people talk too much and think too little." {1} (Amen! Amen!! Amen!!!)... She died in 1995 in Skowhegan, Maine.

U.S. Senator-from-Arizona Barry Goldwater was born on January 1, 1909 in Phoenix, Arizona. He said, “I would remind you that extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice! And let me remind you also that moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue.” {2}... He died in 1998 in Paradise Valley, Arizona.

{1} Source: www.born-today.com
{2} Source: http://thinkexist.com

Anne Bronte died today – 158 years ago

English writer Anne Bronte was born on January 17, 1820 in Thornton, Yorkshire, England. She was the sister of Charlotte Bronte and Emily Bronte. She said, “There is always a ‘but’ in this imperfect world.” {1} (There are probably a lot more ‘buts’ than we would like.)... She died on May 28, 1849 in Scarborough, England.

U.S. writer Noah Webster was born on October 16, 1758 in Hartford, Connecticut. He said, “Language is not an abstract construction of the learned, or of dictionary makers, but is something arising out of the work, needs, ties, joys, affections, tastes, of long generations of humanity, and has its bases broad and low, close to the ground” {2} (And here I thought it all came from dictionaries.)... He died in 1843 in New Haven, Connecticut.

Austrian psychologist Alfred Adler was born on February 7, 1880 in Vienna, Austria. He said, "The chief danger in life is that you may take too many precautions." {3} (And sometimes not enough.) He also said, “The only normal people are the one's you don't know very well.” {2} (That’s self-evident.) And he also said, “It is easier to fight for one's principles than to live up to them.” {2} (But it’s so much easier that way.)... He died in 1937 in Aberdeen, Scotland.

U.S. comic actor Phil Hartman was born on September 24, 1948 in Brantford, Ontario, Canada. He said, “I benefit from the Mr. Potato Head syndrome. Put a wig and a nose and glasses on me, and I disappear.” {2} (For some of us, it’s for the best.)... He was killed in 1998 in Encino, California.

{1} Source: www.brainyquote.com
{2} Source: http://thinkexist.com
{3} Source: www.born-today.com

Victor Kiam died today - 6 years ago

Victor Kiam, U.S. sports team the “New England Patriots” former owner, was born on December 7, 1926 in New Orleans, Louisiana. He said, "Even if you fall on your face, you're still moving forward." {1} (But you’re probably not moving very fast.) He died on May 27, 2001 in Stamford, Connecticut.

French theologian John Calvin was born on July 10, 1509 in Noyon, Picardie, France. He said, “I consider looseness with words no less of a defect than looseness of the bowels.” {2} (Oh, my!) He also said, “Each eye can have its vision separately; but when we are looking at anything… our vision, which in itself is divided, joins up and unites in order to give itself as a whole to the object that is put before it.” {2} (Oh, my! I couldn’t have said it better myself.) He also said, “Build a man a fire and he will be warm for a day; set him on fire and he will be warm for the rest of his life.” {2} (Oh, triple my!) He died in 1564 in Geneva, Switzerland.

English writer Arnold Bennett was born on May 27, 1867 in Hanley, Staffordshire, England. He said, "A cause may be inconvenient, but it's magnificent. It's like champagne or high heels, and one must be prepared to suffer for it." {1} (Hmmmm.) He also said, “Always behave as if nothing had happened, no matter what has happened.” {3} (How stoic! Well, perhaps not. Look it up.) He also said, “Pessimism, when you get used to it, is just as agreeable as optimism.” {3} (I guess you can get used to anything.) He died in 1931.

Indian leader Jawaharlal Nehru was born on November 14, 1889 in Allahabad, India. He said, “Life is like a game of cards. The hand that is dealt you is determinism; the way you play it is free will.” {4} (But sometimes the deck is stacked.) He died in 1964.

{1} Source: www.born-today.com
{2} Source: http://thinkexist.com
{3} Source: www.brainyquote.com
{4} Source: www.quotationspage.com

Samuel Pepys died today – 304 years ago

Samuel Pepys, and English writer, was born on February 23, 1633 in London, England. According to Wikipedia, “His surname is usually pronounced /piːps/ (the same as the English word peeps) although at the time it could have been pronounced either ‘peeps’, ‘peps’, or ‘peppis’.” Well, I guess that settles that dispute... He was famous for his diaries. He died on May 26, 1703 outside of London, England. He didn’t enter that into his diaries.

P.S. U.S. physician Charles Horace Mayo, born on July 19, 1865, died in 1939. With his father and brother, he started what today is known as the Mayo Clinic. According to www.born-today.com, he said, "Worry affects the circulation, the heart, the glands, the whole nervous system. I have never known a man who died from overwork, but many who died from doubt." There’s a lot of truth there... German philosopher Martin Heidegger, born on September 29, 1889, died in 1976. According to http://thinkexist.com, he said, "Every man is born as many men and dies as a single one." This may apply to women, too. He also said, “Man acts as though he were the shaper and master of language, while in fact language remains the master of man.” This may apply to women, too.